Optimizing strategic sourcing in the healthcare supply chain with consideration of physician preference and vendor scorecards

This research focuses on the design of a procurement model for expensive medical supplies in a healthcare supply chain. A deterministic optimization model generates recommendations for optimal purchases of products in a given planning period. The model combines common concepts of supply chain procurement such as leveraging tiered pricing, ensuring supply base diversity with phenomena unique to healthcare supply chain such as consideration of physician preference for products. The deterministic optimization model minimizes total spend over a chosen planning period with consideration of four key decision parameters: Physician preference requirements (which are imposed as rules on product substitutability), Upper limits on vendor market share to ensure a suitably diverse supply base Vendors’ performance scores to impose standards for product pricing, quality, service, etc. Quantity discount rebate parameters for bulk purchasing to help contain medical costs The optimization model reveals the extent to which higher product substitutability and lower supply base diversity may help hospitals reduce total procurement costs. Experiments with the optimization model also reveal the potential consequences of rater biases in vendor scorecards on procurement cost. The various parameter combinations listed above may be used in negotiating contracts for better pricing. In summary, this research addresses questions pertinent to healthcare supply chains concerning the possible cost of physician preference for products, the impact of subjective scorecards on procurement costs, the effect of planning period on procurement plans, and the cost of vendor diversity

Propuesta de implementación de herramientas Lean Office en el proceso de compras para disminuir los gastos administrativos de una empresa del sector financiero

El presente estudio tiene como tema principal la reducción de gastos administrativos en el proceso de compras la empresa Mibanco – Banco de la Microempresa. En este caso, se trata de reducir los sobrecostos de la gestión de la negociación de compras. Dicho proceso fue analizado a través de herramientas de ingeniería que permitieron diagnosticar el problema y analizar sus causas raíces y secundarias. El diagnóstico final fueron la falta de estandarización documentaria, falta de estandarización de método de trabajo y fuentes no estandarizadas, ocasionando retrasos, sobreprocesos y mala gestión de la información. La metodología de solución está basada en la basada en la filosofía Lean Office y la aplicación de sus herramientas como 5S y Poka – Yoke, esta consiste en la adaptación de la filosofía Lean Manufacturing en un entorno administrativo. Se consiguió reducir los tiempos de procesamiento y reducir reprocesos de las actividades realizadas en la gestión de compras, así como una reducción en el sobrecosto. El trabajo se estructuró en cuatro capítulos. El primer capítulo presenta el marco teórico sobre la cual se basa el estudio. El segundo capítulo presenta el diagnóstico del proceso actual. El tercer capítulo presenta la solución al problema y su simulación. Finalmente, el cuarto capítulo presenta el beneficio económico.The main theme of this study is the reduction of administrative expenses in the purchasing process of the company Mibanco - Banco de la Microempresa. In this case, the objective is focused on reducing the cost overruns of purchasing negotiation management. This process was analyzed through engineering tools that allowed diagnosing the problem and analyzing its root and secondary causes. The final diagnosis was the lack of documentary standardization, lack of standardization of the work method and non-standardized sources, causing delays, over-processing and mismanagement of the information. The solution methodology is based on the Lean Office philosophy and the application of its tools such as 5S and Poka - Yoke, which its based of the adaptation of the Lean Manufacturing philosophy in an administrative environment. Due to the application of the solution, it was possible to reduce processing times and reduce rework of the activities carried out in purchasing management, as well as a reduction in the cost overrun. The work was structured in four chapters. The first chapter presents the theoretical framework on which the study is based. The second chapter presents the diagnosis of the current process. The third chapter presents the solution to the problem and its simulation. Finally, the fourth chapter presents the economic benefit.Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesiona